Game-board.



PATBNTED SEPT. 22, 190s. B. T. BURROWES. y

GAME BOARD. APPLIOATION FILED 00115, 1902.

@Hummm T0 all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES Patented september 22, .1903i PATENT OEFTGE.-

GAM E-BoAR'D.

SPECIFCATION `forming part of -Letters Patent N0.f739,28`5, dated September 22, 1903.

' Application filed October 15, 19021. Serial No. 1277.363. (No model.)

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. BURROWES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland,in the county of Oumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game-Boards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improvement in game-boards, and is embodied in the con; struction and arrangement of parts presently to be described, and defined in -the claims. The invention relates more particularly to the corner construction ofgame-boards.

A game-board upon which billiards and pool can be played, as distinguished from pool and billiard tables, is a portable board. which can be lifted onto and from a dining or other table, stand, or other movable support. VS uch a board is shown and described in my Letters Patent No. 674,729, dated May 2l, 1901. In such gaine-board structures it is essential that .a strong` and rigid rail or frame be provided for supporting the bed and the cushions. In fact, the frame is largely the material factor or feature for rendering suclrboards useful and successful, and that they should be firm and rigid is a requirement indispensable. It has therefore been my aim heretofore to eli ininate as many joints as possible from the surrounding frame, and heretofore the pocketopenings have been made wholly in the bedy largely for the purpose lof avoiding the cutting into or weakening of the surrounding frame or rail. e

With my present invention I have found it possible to encroach less on the playing surface or bed by forming the pocket-openings partially in the bed and partially in the surrounding frame, at the same time maintaining the continuity of the frame without em-' ploying additional joints.

My present invention further comprises a structure whereinthe usual form of rubber cushion can be used on the board. Other features of the invention will presently be referred to.

In the drawings, Figure l `is a plan view, parts broken away, showing the end of the game-board embodying the invention. Fig.

2 is a detail section on the line 2 2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3is 'a detail section on the line 3 3 of other convenient means.

Fig. l. Fig. 4L is an enlarged plan view of one of the corners, showing parts broken away. Fig. 5 is a vdetail perspective view of the 55 pocket-closure; and Fig. 6 is a detail bottom planview of a corner of the board, showing the pocket omitted.

The body-carrying rail or frame is designated at A and consists conveniently of lon- 6o gitudinal side rails and end rails. These rails are continuous and extend from end to end and side to side, the side rails being connected with the end rails preferably by tongue-andgroove connection, as shown in Fig. 3, and are there secured to form a permanent joint by suitable screws o and, if desirable, cornerplates Z9.

' B designates the body connected with the rails or frame, thesame being' connected with 7o the rails in any convenient manner.

O designates the cushion, which may be of any approved form, having a rubber striking edge and inclosed in a suitable'cloth covering. The cushion is attached to the rails by suitu able screws or other means.

D designates the pocket-opening, which is conveniently of circular formation, cut sub-l stantially one-half in the body and one-half in the adjacent portions of the end and side 8o rails, as shown in Fig. 6. With this form of pocket, opening partially in the rail and` partially in the body, the cut-out portion of the rail is relatively weakened, and to compensate for this weakening and preserve the necessary rigidity of the frame or rail I secure on one face, conveniently the upper face,

a strengthening bracket-plate' E of metal. This plate'is made of relatively thick material having branches extending at right angles to 9o each other and projecting beyond the cut-out portions of the rails, the ends of the strength.- ening-plate as well as the corner being permanently secured to the rail by screws e or To add to the rigidity of this strengthening-plate and also for. purposes presently to be described, the same is slightly arched or bulged upward along its inner'edge, as shown at e. This bulged-up portion is formed on a true curve correspondroo ing substantially to the curvature of the pocket-opening and is positioned slightly over the edge of the pocket-opening, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3.

To prevent the ball from coming in direct Contact with the frame or with the plate E, I secure to the back of the pocket-opening a suitable skirt F, conveniently of leather, the same extending down to approximately the lower end of the pocket-opening or cut-out portion of the rail. This skirt is supported at its upper edge by being passed around a suitable iilling-piece f, conveniently of rope or fibrous material, the edges of the leather skirting at the ends being attached by suitable screws or tacks, as at j, to the tops of the rails immediately below the plates E.

G designates the pocket, which may be attached tothe rail and body in any convenient manner.

The ends of the cushion C at the pocketopenings are curved, as shown at Fig. 4, and the supportng-block of the cushion is undercut to form two separate overhanging ledges g g below the projecting' rubber edge of the cushion. These ledges are arranged obliquely relative to the cushion and extending to the rail.

H designates a pocket-closure consisting of a block having its opposite sides cut to form two distinct steps h L, shaped and fashioned to closely iit below the ledges of the cushion strip. This block II is provided at its edge with a rubber strip forming, when the closure is in place, a continuation of the cushion. The block is faced with a suitable fabric and is of triangular formation, so as to completely occupy the space between the ends of the cushion. To add additional security for retaining the closure in its place the inner end h2 is slightly chamfered on its upper side, so that the lower portion may be fitted below the corded buffer edge of the pocket-skirt.

While it has been heretofore suggested to secure the pocket-closure in the corner of a billard and pool table by inserting a proj ection below the cushion, yet, as far as I am advised, it has never heretofore been suggested to so fashion the block that it will have contact at various points on different planes with the cushion-strip. The result of such construction is that the closure is held very iirmly in place, resisting the shocks of the balls in all directions. By bending or curving the plate E in the manner above described a protector is formed for the bufiing portion of the skirt.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. A portable game-board consisting of a bed, a surrounding rail constituting a support for the bed and having its meeting ends secured together, pocket openings formed partly in the bed and partly in the rail and reinforcing rigid metal plates extending around the outer edge of the pocket-opening having an intermediate arched portion and iixedly secured to the rail.

2. In a portable game-board, the combination with a bed, of supporting rails having portions cut away to form pocket openings and their meeting ends secured together and curved rigid plates fashioned to fit on the rails extending around the outer edge ol' the pocket openings and fxedly secured to the adjacent rails at points substantially opposite, substantially as described.

3. In a portable game-board the combination witha-bed, of a surrounding rail, pocketopenings extending into the rail, a cushion having a plurality of overhanging ledges at its ends adjacent the pocket openings, and closures for the openings having a plurality of ledges fitting under the overhanging ledges of the cushion.

fi. A game-board having pocket-openings, a cushion, having a plurality of overhanging ledges, a closure having a plurality of projecting steps entering below the ledges, and means for retaining the end of the closure in place.

5. In a game board the combination with rails, and a bed, of pocket openings formed partly in the rails, a buffer at the rear of the opening and metallic reinforcingplates bordering the openings and centrally arched over the rear part of the openings and buffer.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD T. BURROWES.

lVitnesses:

FREDERIC W. SHAW, ARTHUR R. MACLEOD. 

